Combat Airlifter - 440th Airlift Wing

History and HeritageLegacies toRememberDuring the twilight months that brought World War II to an end, the 440th, then the 440th Troop Carrier GroupIX Troop Carrier Command, not only made history but recorded an illustrated narrative of the activities of theunit during the hostilities in Europe from D-Day - June 6, 1944, until VE Day “Victory in Europe.” The book DZEurope included facts, data and photographs to salute the courage and duty of those who wrote the book withtheir deeds and to remember those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. A copy of the book was given to eachmember of the 440th Troop Carrier Wing. Master Sgt. Mark Aragon, 440th Airlift Wing historian, summarizedseveral stories from DZ Europe for this month’s Combat Airlifter. These are the first three in a series.Jeanne d’ArcIt was in Orleans, France, in 1945, that the warriorsof the 440 th Troop Carrier Group found anunexpected opportunity to pay homage toFrance’s most cherished warrior, Jeanne d’Arc.Jeanne d’Arc was a 15th century saint and a nationalheroine of France. She led the French armyto several important victories and led king CharlesVII to his coronation. She was captured by theEnglish and tried by an ecclesiastical court, subsequentlyconvicted of heresy and was burned atthe stake by the English when she was 19 yearsold. Twenty-four years later, the Vatican reviewedthe decision of the ecclesiastical court, found herinnocent. She was beatified in 1909 and canonizedas a saint in 1920.In the city on the Loire River, an equestrian statuerises in the cafe-bordered Place du Martroi, memorializingthe maid of Orleans. A valiant bronzestatue that was ravaged by a World War had thebase pockmarked by shells, and one random Germanshot had removed the sword from her hand.The 440 th decided that among themselves theywould raise a fund to buy a sword to replace theshattered one.On June 6, 1945, one year after the D-Day invasiona bronze sword was presented by the membersof the 440 th Troop Carrier Group to the cityof Orleans. On the base of the statue, in bothEnglish and French, the inscription:BRONZE SWORDPRESENTEDBY 440 TH TROOPCARRIER GROUP456 TH AIR SERVICES GROUPUNITED STATESARMY AIR FORCESTO THE CITY OF ORLEANS6 June 1945The Combat Airlifter June 2008 Page 17